[The development of physical education as a basic instrument of rehabilitative treatment, remedial medicine, and goal-oriented health promotion for the benefit of man].

This paper presents a brief description of the development of physical therapy as a basic technology for medical rehabilitation and the current state of research activities in this field at the Federal Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Centre. The importance of targeted re-equipment of health centres, departments of medical rehabilitation and remedial medicine is emphasized for the wider application of novel health-promoting technologies and optimization of control over health improvement procedures through increasing and mobilizing the functional reserves of the human body.